Sunday, December 4, 2011

Spaghetti squash Curry

I started this as a guessing game. Many of my friends thought it was vermicili upma/ pulao.
It does look like that doesn't it!

Spaghetti squash is a winter squash. It gets it's name as the cooked squash separates into spaghetti like strands. It's plenty in the market now and cheap. I am cooking it for the first time.
It is always good to try with spices and flavors I am used to than experimenting, isn't it?

Spaghetti squash apparently has only 40 calories/ cup and that's pretty amazing guys! also has plenty of beta carotene and fiber, you know the good stuff for colon!
I used onions, red bell pepper and green peas jut for different colors. you can use or omit these if you want to.
Hardest part of cooking squash is to cut it. This time I nuked it and was a breeze. I cooked for 10 mins, but 8 would be sufficient. The most important thing is to poke multiple holes on the squash,so you don't end with an explosion of squash inside your microwave.

Get ready:

1 spaghetti squash

1 medium onion thinly sliced

1/2 red bell pepper diced

1/3 cup frozen peas

1 red chilli

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp urad dal

1 tbsp oil

salt to taste.

cilantro for garnish

Go:

With a big knife, poke 4-5 holes in the squash.

Microwave the squash by placing directly on the turn table for 8-10 mins. turn it over once in the middle.

You will notice steam releasing from the inside of the squash. It will collapse a little and feel soft to touch once cooked.

Set aside tocool. Cut the squash, remove the seeds and flesh from the centre.

With fork pull all the flesh and it will come out as spaghetti/ vermicilli. set aside.

In a pan add oil and do the tadka with mustard seeds, urad dal, red chilli.